image [https://i.imgur.com/P3nxhdr.jpg]

Jophiel was a pleasant old woman and she reminded me a lot of Adathan.

She welcomed us under the Tree of Life and we all sat beneath its foliage basking in the grandeur of the place. I was awed by the sheer size of the tree, but even more by Jophiel’s countenance. She gave us some kind of miniature cakes and a drink that looked like milk, but tasted like berries. The food she served us seemed to appear out of thin air, but I didn’t really care. I hadn’t eaten much since arriving in Limbo, so I gobbled up three of the cakes in short order.

Jophiel had a serene presence. She made me feel safe and secure, just like my other angel encounter with Adathan. I assumed that all angels had the gift of contentment to those that were around them.

Azazel seemed very insecure around Jophiel, like he was waiting for her to recognize him. He kept his head down and didn’t say anything. Captain Douglas was in great spirits and lapped up the white drink from a bowl that had been given to him.

As a tree herder Jophiel was responsible for the Tree of Life. She told me that she had been appointed as a caretaker and had been stationed there for a long time. She had a small area under the tree with wooden chairs made from vines all twisted together. There was a large table and a couple of small side tables that were constructed in the same fashion. Otherwise there was no place for her to sleep and no place for any belongings.

I had told Jophiel all about my journey through Limbo. She seemed quite interested in my story and smiled a lot. I felt like I was speaking to an old friend that I hadn’t seen in ages. In return she told me about the angels that had been caretakers for the tree of life; many names I didn’t recognize. She was currently the only angel tending to the tree due to an ongoing conflict with the demons. Jophiel told me that she was originally an angel of the 7th level of heaven. But she had been granted this position at the Tree of Life by some of the highest angels in their ranks.

Never once in our conversation did she seem to reference me as the Potentate.

I found that a bit unsettling.

Looking up into the tree I saw more closely now that the peach shaped fruit was larger in size then I had imagined. It was twice as big as a grapefruit and completely white with no discoloration. I knew looking up at the fruit that this was my purpose for being there, but I felt guilty about wanting to take some away with me.

Did Jophiel know my purpose there?

This I did not know, but I needed to find out.

“We are here to gather fruit from the tree,” I blurted out.

Azazel nearly fell off his chair when I spoke. He looked up at me stupefied as he juggled his uneaten cake. If his blue skin could change tone, it definitely looked a shade paler after my statement.

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“Well, of course you are dear,” Jophiel replied.

Captain Douglas stopped licking his milky drink and looked up with his canine eyes. He keenly waited to see what would happen next.

I don’t know why I revealed my purpose to the herding angel as I did. It was most likely the effect of being around her. I didn’t think lying to an angel served any purpose and she must have known we were there for something more than cakes and drinks.

“Is that ok?” I asked sheepishly.

“I knew what your purpose was when you arrived here,” she replied. “Most beings in Limbo that come to the tree are seeking renewal. The form that that takes is dependent on the individual.”

I didn’t understand what she meant. I hadn’t come to the tree for renewal - at least I didn't think I did.

“I was sent here to gather three fruit from the tree to bring back to the Oraculum. The three sisters that I spoke about on my journey. They asked me to gather the fruit and bring it back to them. In return they will provide me with the location of my token in order to make myself whole again.”

I paused like a stage actor for critical effect.

“I’m the Potentate and my token is missing.”

Jophiel rose up from her chair and wandered over to the large table. With her back to me she pulled something out of thin air and returned to sit down.

She placed a Tree of Life fruit on the small table in between us.

It glowed with a slight aura.

Seeing the fruit up close for the first time was an incredible experience. The fruit had a lifeforce to it that I cannot explain - but I will try my best. It felt similar to looking at a woman with an unborn child. The fruit vibrated with the energy of a waiting spirit. When I looked at it I felt like I was looking at the potential for life, but it was more than just that. The fruit was like an unborn soul awaiting its place in the universe.

I was euphoric by the sense of wonder I felt, but I also realized that I had come to harvest these fruits.

I felt like a thief in the night.

This wasn’t what I had imagined the fruits to be. I hadn’t really thought about it when I agreed to the quest with the Oraculum. I guess I was ignorant and hadn’t really thought it through.

The sisters must have known what they were asking me to obtain. They had tricked me by not divulging the true nature of their request. I was to take unborn souls from the tree and provide it to them. What nefarious purpose did they truly have I wondered.

“Don’t worry Hannah, all is how it should be,” Jophiel said.

I looked up at her and she smiled. The warmth of her friendship spread through my body. Her serenity eased my conscience.

“I knew that you were coming here for a while. Adathan visited me some time ago and told me that you would be coming.”

“What? How did he know I’d be coming here?” I asked.

“He wasn’t sure, but Adathan is quite perceptive. He is the keeper of the gates of Limbo, so he has a tendency to know things that many others do not.”

I was completely taken aback by this revelation. Adathan had helped me when I first arrived, but I didn’t think he was watching over me.

Why didn’t he come to help me after I had escaped the monster at the Mega Mart? Was he shadowing me and watching my journey from afar? These and many other questions started circulating in my head.

“Why didn’t he come to find me? I could have used his help?”

“Adathan is... well... Adathan. I’m sure he would have helped you if could, but that is not his purpose.”